Sweet and Demure – Linda Preston – Miss Preston is an assistant to Comedian Gene Sheldon, topliner in the Hippodrome state program, which is being held over for a second week.

Gene Sheldon with Linda Preston in Panto-Mirth – Ben Marden’s Riviera

My maternal grandmother, née Linda Preston, traveled as a singer with comedian Gene Sheldon in 1941. Unfortunately, it seems her tour with him was cut short when her brother, my Uncle Peter, took a curve too fast while driving her and ran the car into a tree. I remember Grandma told me her leg was broken, and got infected. She told me she begged the doctors in the hospital to save her leg rather than amputate it, and they gave her Sulfa drugs — brand new at the time — to kill the infection. They worked, mostly, but she was prone to getting infections in that leg in her old age.

I found these photos among my maternal grandmother’s memoirs of her time as a vaudeville performer. They were all stamped on the back:

J. M. SHAFER
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
ALTOONA MIRROR

These nine photos were among my grandmother’s photos of her time as a trouper with Egyptian Follies. I searched the Internet for information about J. M. Shafer and found this mention of his time as a staff photographer with the Altoona Mirror in an obituary:

Mr. Shafer retired as photographer on May 21, 1980 [sic. Must have been 1970.], after more than 41 years’ service. He began his service with the Mirror on March 8, 1929, as a messenger to Daniel N. Step, president and publisher.

On March 8, 1933, he became the first staff photographer under the late J. Edward Benney, then city editor.

I found these photos among my maternal grandmother’s memoirs. Her stage name was Linda Preston, and she was a singer who toured with comedian Gene Sheldon. Apparently, she was also a trouper with Egyptian Follies, a vaudeville variety show in 1940. I searched for information about Egyptian Follies, and I found this mention in a master’s thesis:

Throughout the 1931 – 1940 period scattered mention is made of vaudeville programs still being presented in conjunction with the movies. In 1931, a magic company, Rajah Raboid and His Mysteries of 1932, and the Carr Brothers and their musical follies, were presented at the Arcade; in 1932, another magician, Prince Shah Babar, and the company of Trixie Friganza and Her Discoveries; in 1934, Waxo the miracle man; Belle and Bozeman, adagio champions, and Ben Bernie and his orchestra; in 1935, a one-hour vaudeville program Broadway Bandwagon was presented as part of the Wilbur Cushman circuit, The Blue Paradise Revue, six acts of vaudeville, and The Soldiers of Fortune Revue; in 1937, still another magician, in 1939, The Rhythm Boys, RCA recording artists; and finally in 1940, the Egyptian Follies.